Means for effecting escape of occupants from sunken vessels.



IHXTBN'I'ED MAR. 26, 1907.

. I. PRPP. MEANS FOR- EFFEGTING ESCAPE 0F O CGUPANTS FROM'SUNKEN VE'SSELS.

APPLIGATlON FILED OGT.13,1|05.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

y m5 fffamy NTED STATES ISAAC FRPP, OF OATFORD,

cirrosis,

PATENT FFHE@ ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR T JMES "ATT, OF

ENGLAND;

OCCUPANTS FROM SUNKEN VESSELS.

pplication lcd October l.

Speceatcn of Letters Patent.

Patented March 26, 1907.

3,1905. sain No. 282,653.

To all wiz/0157, it may canberra- Be it known that I, ISAAC FRIPP, a subject of the King of England, residing at 72 Ran vensbourne road, (latford, in the county of Kent, England, 'have invented' certain new and useful Means tor Effecting Escape of Uccu antsfrom Sunken Vessels, of which the fol owing is a specification.

This invention relates to `a new or improved means for effecting the escape of occu' ants from sunken submarine boats and ot er vessels, and essentially consists in providing an auxilia chamber or chambers so constructed as to orrn a vessel or boat structure to which access can be hadfroni the sunken submarine boat or other vessel on the necessity arising and which is capable of bein released from its containing-chamber or i ho der and righting itself by the action of the inrushing water to the containing-chamber .l or holder.

To this end I form a well or recess of suitable size. and shape in the upper part of the submarine' boat or, in the case of a vessel, on

` the deck ortion and secure therein a .chamber of s cient size andshape to contain the vessel or boat structure, the latter being so formed as to float and right itself on being released frorn the containing-'chamber or ho der and clearing itself roin the sunken submarine or other vessel.

` The vessel or boat structure is so shaped that when laying broadside on the -inrnshing water to its holder or containing-chamber will cause it to swing outward and to finally iight itself and on being released from the containn chamber will readily iioat. On the other, and, if the submarine or other vessel is in a substantially horizontal plane the water led to the containing-chamber will lift the boat structure in, a vertical direction.

The boat structure is provided with. a suiti able hatchway and has an inner deck portion with handrails or other suitable arrangement for the -purpose of the occupants holding themselves in position during the righting of the boat.

Suitable steering and propelling arrangements may be provided for working and con- .chaniber and releasing,saineitherefronn A l The cori'tainingchai'nber is-iadaptetlto be trolling the boat, and means are provided forv holdirigthc Iboat in positionin the containing-l ooded tol a suitable height byi allowing an ingress of water by means ofpipe and cock arrangements, whereupon by the release of the holding means the boat structure is free to clear itself from the submarine or other sunken vessel.

A water-tight door or doors is or are provided in the containing-chamber to permit of access from the submarine boat or other vessel, said means of access being preferably coincident with access by a water-tight door or doors carried by vessel or boat structure.

Means for lighting theinterior of the boat structure may be provided in the forni of windows and by means of electric lamps.

The invention is re resented in the accompanying drawings, w erein Figure lis a lo itudinal vertical section of the containinglcliambers with releasable vessel therein. Fig. 2 is va ,cross section through the containing-chamber on the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a "'erosssection through the containing-chamber and vessel therein on the line 3 3 of'Fig. 1. Fig. t is a pian view from below of the one deck of the vessel in section on the line 4 e of Fig.` 1. Fig.' 5 is a detail view of a chock for use in securing the water-tight doors, and Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view illustrating a metho'd of flooding the containing-chamber.

Referring to the drawings, l represents a brokemaway portion of the submarine or other vessel, and 5 the centainng-chamber suitably built into same and flush with the deck thereof. This chamber has convex inwardly-inclined side and end walls 6 and 7, respectively, as shown in Figs. 2, and 3, referably following the contour of the 'wa' ls of the interior releasable chamber lgghereinaftion -of which, however, is cut away and shouldered, as at 9 terior vessel 10. The said containing-chainber 5 is other vessel, and this aperture may be door 11, that represented in the drawings being hinged at 22 to one of the end bul heads 7a to open inward into the submarine and adapted to be rotated on said hingev to l va :projecting portion 1lb for'tlii's purpose' Ito' open or close the'aperture 11 aforesaid.

Rubber or other packing may be inserted for reception of said in closed by any suitable kind of Water-tightl open or close the aperture aforesaid, having ter described, and a flange 8, the lgreater porrovided with an entrance-aperture 1l `to a ord access from the submarine or IOC between the door eifel bulkhead Lo forni ai 'tight joint., :incl door is lielil closed. by ineens of' rotatable bers ifi, pivoted to illecloor el; i6 sind adopted to engaoechoels or eoelies 17. The bers 14 niej; opera-ted l iroin wilnn 'folie vessel l0 by means of a :l la. Said elioelis may have e. ineil surface il to' reduce o, semen when the bars M lifre forcibly snel prevent 'unintentional largement or the letter.

The i'elessoble vessel l0 ri upon the shoulders of -lie rmntaining-clunnlier 5, seid shoulders exieniling eniiireljf around tile ai-,iorec'sicl opening in ilie oonteiningeliznn- 1oer. The sliepe of this resse n longitudinal nifl cross section clearly shown .in Figs. l

rented 'oii'znd escli ovlier, the side wells, however, nieellii'lg at ille line in ille een: trail piene of the Yessel, so that ille 1:essol itself nos no ziotuel lloor or (lee-li. The overcleeli 2l) is shaped to conform to 'flee (leek oii the vessel lo Wl 'oli the invention applied., mill ,vitli 'regard to a submarine Vessel would usually be curved, as shown iii Fig. 3. This overilecli E() should rblso'be liusli Wit-l1 *Vlie decl; of lvlie vessel-eind with time. of the containing-csomber. By giving the relezisiiole vvessel the shape described the seme may ne released from the sinking or sunken `vessel in any Joslion ol? the lsterMtliiit is lo soy, Wliet er she 'founders oy Elie head or stern or lia-s n, liesvy lis.- lo port or starboard or is on lier liefiin ends-*the curved and imrrowing.

Wells o'l" the. releesolile Vessel allowing ille lzitter to clean' the opening in olie containingelieinlier and to lios-i. in a. Vertical position. The space existing between the Walls of lie inner vessel and containingclimiilaer slioul be so small as consistent with sole notion lo Y' IYmit sail containing-cheinoer to be qiiielrly lo The vessel l0 is else fui;

'lilelopermre 2l, preferably nislieol Wits si coincident Wili tlie aperture ifi of the 'con-I lennnglnnuber and adapted Le be closed by nin-jv preferably or conveniently consis'i: ol" ep namens, iis shown in Figs.: 1 and 4L. Tliis con'iprises a number of lioll's 25, guided in hangers secured, to the os'ferdeclr and pass- 'ing said toothed wheel 32 Isimply 7Vof pipes 36h, extending nl; enil l Shriz., both the end Walls or loolliliemls.y i3 the side walls i9 are convex sind l1- l ing through Llie end and sirio walls io engage straps or equ'vzilents 30, secured lo the conmining-chamber 5. The seid liolts are toothed at their inner ends el/.31 to engage :i toothed wheel 32, rigidly mounted on e shaft 33, to which is also keyed a, worin-wheel S4, adopted to lie opera-teil liy Worm and liend- 1frlieel 36 in suoli a menner that all the soll-z may lie sinmlteneously Withdrewn `by reist to .siniuleneously 7 wiliflriiwgill the liols 'lor tlie'pnrposelof lee-sing the-vessel il) from -tlie elisir er Means for flooding the leiter to ena-l lio Tfessel l() to rise are provided, angl thel be :is represen-Led in Figs. -i und 6, een

t-lirougli the overdeclr 8 1nd o en to llie al;-

inospliere sind et the other en tlm-oooh lille end walls of the, inner vessell() in i between the .vell or' lie latter fino 'the' ell o the outer chamber The pipes insg; ifo i... vided willi coelas 35-, adapted to be oeeneil from Lilie interior of the Vessel il?. y .l A ilily provide. 'l'..wo of sairl. pipesA et iliemeigiicelly opposite parte o'lc olie Vessel und 'alieni' so ilmtin iifliii-te'ver position lllie Vessel one of those pipes vill always sul merged, while air een escape hroiigli v-lie other when 'the eocls are open.l

A lietcliwwj; or inenliole 37 provides the oiferrlecl of the ii'essel l() to enaole4 oecugnints to lewe some on being 'rescued el' on coming1 to the surface. ,lliis lime. may simply rest on nzmge Mound l1 o aperture and be held closed by rods 39, piv oiled io a cross-lier All), nivotecl 5o hatchw'sy el; 4l and operstedlby ay lever i2 to conse f siii rods lso engage straps or the like 4:3, se cured lo the o1. crdeol. my other suitiilale forni of hatch and ineens for el( g seine nie.)v Ybe used in lieu of that descrilierl.

l olaf. my in, ventio1rl. in means for the ourpose set loili the coinloiniiion with a slu'p of e containingcheinber lniil` 'therein means for flooding said chamber in any oositon thereof, 2L releesel'ile, vessel. located -`within said chamber and liov ing convex inwardly-ireoted side sind end Wells Elie 'former meeting lille cent-ml pleno oi the vessel and closeble nie-ens for giving iic- 1 from tire ship to the interior oli said Vessel solistnnlislly .as described. g,

2l. In ineens for plie purpose set rslijtlie combination Willi o, ship, o n. conlnoiningchamber built'vv therein, ineens for .flooding ifs' seid chamber in any position thereof', '.feleuseble vessel loomed Within seid clieuilei :and herring convex .inwardly-l1 ected side sind end Walls the `former meeting in the een-, trol "lane the Vessel and ineens 'for locking. the .fitter in and releasing seme from the.. 'chamber aforesaid substantially es described.

3. in Ineens Jfor Jolie purpose sei ,forth fille vcombinati'on with a. sliip, of' i'conteining chamber built therein, ineens for loonling s;

essere tral plane of the vessel, en overdeck to seid vessel Bush with the deck of the ship, clcseble ineens for giving access from the'snip to the interior of the Vessel, ineens for 'locking the plane of the vessel, closeble ineens for giving l letter in and releasing same from the ehemeccess from the ship'vto the interior of the vesl ber eforeseid7 a closeble lietcliwey in the sel, ineens or locking the letter in and relees- @Verdeck of the Vessel, lookonts in the Walls ing seine from the chamber aforesaid and thereof, e deck portion Within seme and ineens for ermitting egress from the. Vessel hendweils adjacent said deck portion subsubstantially es described. sten'tialljf as described.

4. n ineens for the purpose .set forth the n Witness whereof l have signed this specicombinatign 1witi a ship, of e i conieining l catibn in the presence of two Witnesses. chamber ui t t ierein, Ineens "or oodn E seid chamber in any Cuosition thereof, e re f WISAAC FRPF' said chamber in any position thereof, a releeseole Vessel located Within said clieniber l and having convex inwerdly-directed side and end walls, the former meeting in the central leeseble vessel locate Within said chamber Witnesses: and hewn convex., inwardly-directed side H. D. JAMEsoN, and end We ls, the former meeting 1n the cen- RAND 

